The Clothing Chronicles  September 1, 2005 #195 FashionForRealWomen.com ================================================ In This Issue: Message From Diana Feature Article: 5 Fashion Myths Exposed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> MESSAGE FROM DIANA My thoughts and prayers are with everyone touched by Hurricane Katrina. The images coming out of the Gulf Coast are horrifying, to say the least, and a grim reminder of just how precious life can be. If you haven't made a donation to your favorite relief charity, I encourage you to do so. Those folks really need your help. Since talk of fashion seems a bit frivolous in light of what's happening down south, I'll keep today's article short with a quick look at five fashion myths. Enjoy! Diana diana@fashionforrealwomen.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How to Get Organized - NOW Are you organized? Are you totally on top of your work projects? Home management? Birthday lists? If not, "Get Organized Now" can help with checklists, advice, reminders, and more. From paying your bills to organizing stress-free holidays, "Get Organized Now" can set you on the path to a clutter-free, chaos-free life. See how: http://www.dianaprefers.com/books/getorganized.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> FEATURED ARTICLE 5 Fashion Myths Exposed When you were growing up, your mother or your friends probably gave you fashion advice about certain things you should NEVER wear, like stripes, plaids, or prints. "They don't look good on anyone, so avoid them at all costs," you were told. But should you? Do those old "rules" still hold true for every woman on the planet? Of course not. Like so many things in fashion, it all depends on you: your body shape, your weight, and your personal image goals. Let's take a moment to look at five of these myths in detail: 1. Never Wear Horizontal Stripes If you wear horizontal stripes, the lines will visually widen whatever body part they're on. GOOD: If you have narrow shoulders, small breasts, or slender hips, wearing horizontal stripes will visually widen those areas. Want to offset a large chest or large hips to look a little more curvaceous? Wear horizontals on the smaller body part. BAD: If you have large breasts, waist, or hips, wearing horizontal lines on those parts will make them appear larger. Try solids or vertical stripes instead to de-emphasize. Chadwicks.com Horizontal stripes can add a little substance to a tiny frame.   2. Never Wear Large Prints Large prints can look great - or ghastly - depending on your height and weight. It's one of those rules of proportion: If you're small and wear something large, you'll appear smaller. If you're large and wear something small, you'll appear larger. So wear small prints if you're small, large prints if you're large, and in-between prints if you're in-between. Scale the prints to your size and you're "good to go."   3. Never Mix Patterns or Prints Yes, this CAN be tricky, which is why most people throw their hands up in defeat and say "never do it." But it can look amazing if done correctly, so if you're game, the key to success is in creating harmony with the same color or design. If the colors are different, the design should be the same. If the designs are different, the colors should be the same. Vary the scale. If one print has large shapes, the second print should be smaller. Men do this all the time with their shirts, suits, and ties, as do interior designers with their wallpapers, borders, and textiles. Just study different combinations and try a few of your own. Spiegel.com Different patterns, same color value 4. Never Wear Bulky Textures Like horizontal stripes, bulky textures tend to make whatever they're on look bigger. Sequins, fur, cable knit sweaters and the like all add mass to the body. This may be okay if you're tiny and want to add a little substance to your silhouette, but maybe not so great if you're trying to hide those pesky pounds you picked up during your last pregnancy. Be careful how and where you wear them.   5. Never Wear White from the Waist Down Because light colors make what they're on appear larger, many women with a large lower half tend to shy away from wearing white from the waist down. But there are some easy ways around this: Dress in white from head to toe. Monochromatic colors make you look thinner and taller. Use a vertical line to distract. Add a duster, a long scarf, or a long chain to focus attention up-and-down instead of from side-to-side. Spiegel.com The duster creates a slimming vertical line As with just about everything in fashion, the key to dressing well is in understanding your body. Once you figure out - and ACCEPT -- what you have to work with, buying and wearing clothes simply becomes a matter of elimination: either something works on you, or it doesn't. In other words, you need to create your own "Nevers" list; don't rely on your mother's. Need some more help putting together a wardrobe that REALLY works? Download a copy of WARDROBE MAGIC, http://www.wardrobemagic.com to see how easy dressing well can be. ************** Until next time, Diana Pemberton-Sikes diana@fashionforrealwomen.com http://www.FashionForRealWomen.com http://www.FashionSavvy.com http://www.WardrobeMagic.com http://www.FashionJobReview.com ------------------------ Published by: Top Drawer Publications, LLC 256 S. College Ave. Newark, DE 19711 USA Copyright © 2005 by Diana Pemberton-Sikes All rights reserved. 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